My RX-8 has had a couple of weird shifts lately, it almost feels like the clutch is slipping, but being new to manual transmissions I am not sure (RX8 is my first manual). I have not been driving it hard but I may be grannying the clutch some because I am new to manual and just over 1000 miles on the car. When I shift into third, sometimes it feels like the engine revs up and then all of a sudden it "grabs" I am letting the clutch out when this happens, and usually it is around 70% out when I feel this. Strange thing is it seems to happen mostly in third gear, I dont think I have noticed it at all in other gears.

 

well i dont know how to explain why this would happen just shifting into 3rd, probably disproving my theory before i even start in on it, but the clutch is engaged well before the pedal is all the way out. you've probably noticed by now that it is sort of a two step process when letting the clutch out... i don't think i'm helping. so i'm gonna let someone else help. sorry, & good luck...

 

you are riding the clutch. If you're taking that long to to have that happen to you then you aren't coming off the clutch quick enough. You want to disengage the clutch as quickly AND smoothly as possible. You don't want to be so quick that you cause the car to jerk around. The less time you spend on the pedal the better for you, your car, and your wallet.

How exactly are you shifting? Is this an upshift from 2? What RPMs are you shifting? Are you rev-matching?

 

if the engine revs up and then grab, yes it sounds like you are riding the clutch. giving too much gas when you shouldn't be. that is if what u are talking about is a 2nd to 3rd shift. your engine shouldn't have to rev up, but rather fall down to engage w/ the gear.

 

I think you just need more practice with the shifting, the third gear is closer than say 4th to 5th. It needs more rev especially when you are downshifting

 

First off thanks for all the answers. It is during an upshift that I have this happen, I am not trying to give the car a lot of gas mind you, just enough to keep it from jerking. I am still getting the hang of stick so I agree that I am probably riding the clutch... and I am trying to improve my shifting every day so I will work on letting off the clutch quicker.

 

Believe or not I'm having more problems upshifting than downshifting like you do but I find that actually waiting half a second after clutch in makes the shifting jerkless.